Why are most rent agreements for 11 months?

An agreement for 12 months or more must be registered under the Registration Act, 1908, which costs more and takes longer. Keeping it to 11 months lets landlords and tenants use cheaper stamp paper and renew informally. Maharashtra is the exception — leave & license agreements must be registered there regardless of duration.

Who is legally responsible for paying stamp duty — landlord or tenant?

The Indian Stamp Act doesn't fix this — it's a matter of agreement between the two parties, and in practice tenants usually pay since they need the document for address proof, HRA claims and bank KYC. In Maharashtra, registration itself is the landlord's legal responsibility even if the tenant pays the fee.

What happens if I don't pay the correct stamp duty?

Under Section 35 of the Indian Stamp Act, an insufficiently stamped document is inadmissible as evidence in court. It can be impounded and accepted later after paying the shortfall plus a penalty of 2% per month on the deficiency, up to 200% of the deficient amount.

Does e-stamping replace the need for registration?

No — they are separate steps. E-stamping pays the stamp duty and gives the document legal validity as evidence. Registration at the Sub-Registrar's office is a separate, additional step required by most states once the tenure crosses a threshold, commonly 12 months.

Rent Agreement Generator — State-wise Stamp Duty

Calculate exact stamp duty & registration fees for your state, and download a ready-to-print draft agreement. No sign-up.

Property State & Tenure

State *

Agreement Duration

Rent & Deposit

Monthly Rent (₹) *

= Twenty Thousand Rupees

Refundable Security Deposit (₹)

= One Lakh Rupees

Non-refundable Advance (₹, optional)

Party & Property Details

Landlord Name *

Tenant Name *

Property Address *

City (for jurisdiction clause)

Start Date

Notice Period (months)

Stamp Duty Estimate

Delhi

11 months · ₹20,000/month

Stamp Duty₹100

Registration Fee₹0

Total Cost₹100

Stamp duty ≈ One Hundred Rupees

✓ Registration optional at this duration

Registration is optional for agreements under 12 months in Delhi — most 11-month agreements are notarised rather than registered.

Fill landlord name, tenant name, rent & property address to download.

Before you sign

Verify the exact stamp duty on revenue.delhi.gov.in
This draft is for reference — not a substitute for legal advice
Register at the Sub-Registrar's office where mandatory
Keep signed copies for both landlord and tenant

How Stamp Duty on Rent Agreements Works in India

Stamp duty is a state government tax on legal documents, including rent and leave & license agreements — governed centrally by the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 but priced individually by each state under Entry 44 of the State List. An unstamped or under-stamped agreement is inadmissible as evidence in court under Section 35 of the Act, which is why getting the right stamp value matters even for a simple 11-month rental.

Rates and formulas differ sharply by state — some, like Delhi, Karnataka, West Bengal and Rajasthan, charge a small flat fee for short-tenure agreements, while Maharashtra uses a "total consideration" formula that factors in rent, non-refundable deposits and notional interest on refundable deposits. This tool applies the correct formula for your state automatically and generates a fill-in-the-blank draft agreement alongside the calculation.